This invention relates generally to operating railroad locomotives, and more specifically, to controlling locomotives in locomotive consists distributed throughout a train.
Modem trains may include many train cars and have a length that is over a mile long. Such trains typically contain more than one locomotive to provide the necessary driving and stopping power. To facilitate handling of the train, the additional locomotives often appear at locations in the train that are remote from the lead locomotive. For example, it may be difficult to traverse a curve if all the locomotives are at the front of the train due to high wheel-rail friction and resulting high in-train forces. However, dispersal of locomotives throughout a train requires synchronizing their actions, such as accelerating and braking the locomotives in concert.
To solve this problem, radio control equipment was introduced thirty years ago so that acceleration and deceleration controls applied to the lead locomotive are transmitted to all others in the remote locomotive consists at substantially the same time. Before the train gets underway the operator links the various radio control units so that they act in concert to send control data to each locomotive consist in the train and return status/alarm information.
Radio control systems, such as Locotrol(copyright), provide railroads the ability to control locomotives dispersed in a train consist in either a synchronous, or an independent, mode from a control locomotive, which is in the lead position. The system provides control of the remote locomotive consist(s) by command signals sensed at the lead locomotive and transmitted over a data radio link to the remote unit(s). Such control systems allow railroads to optimize the distribution of motive power and braking control over the length of a train. Radio control systems provide faster and smoother starting and stopping of trains, facilitating safer handling and more efficient operations. In addition, they also facilitate increasing rail system throughput and reducing operating costs from the increased hauling capacity, better rail adhesion, and improved fuel efficiency.
Radio controls now play a crucial role in operating large trains safely, which poses a problem in upgrading the software used in the radio control systems. At present units with different versions of radio control software cannot be operated in the same train, this forcing users to operate such locomotives separately. This requirement also imposes a heavy logistical burden on users while the software on the locomotive fleet is being upgraded and increases pressure on software vendors to upgrade the software in all locomotives as quickly as possible to minimize this problem. Safety considerations, however, preclude an automatic radio download of the upgraded software, which necessitates the vendor physically installing and testing the software on each locomotive in a short time.
In one aspect, a method is provided of upgrading control software on a first locomotive. The first locomotive includes a first locomotive interface. A first computer is coupled to the first locomotive interface, and a first communicator is coupled to the first computer. The first computer is programmed for operation on the first locomotive. The method includes loading a first version of control software onto the first computer, loading a second version of control software onto the first computer, and using data included in a link message to determine whether the first version or the second version of the control software is used.
In another aspect, a system is provided for controlling a first locomotive. The system includes a first locomotive interface, a first computer that is coupled to the locomotive interface, and a first communicator that is coupled to the first computer. The first computer is programmed to control the first locomotive. The first computer is further programmed to use at least one of a first version of control software and a second version of control software.
In a further aspect, a fleet of locomotives is provided that include at least one locomotive equipped with a system for controlling the at least one locomotive. The system includes a first locomotive interface, a first computer coupled to the first locomotive interface, and a first communicator coupled to the first computer. The first computer is programmed to control the at least one locomotive and to use a first version of control software and a second version of control software.
In yet another aspect, a method is provided for upgrading control software on a first locomotive. The first locomotive includes a first locomotive interface, a first computer coupled to the first locomotive interface, and a first communicator coupled to the first computer. The first computer is programmed for operation on the first locomotive. The method includes providing the control software with functionality to operate with a plurality of locomotive control system configurations, and using data included in link messages to determine which version of the control software is used.